State establishes study group to review Pune’s hilltop and biodiversity park regulations

Pune: The state govt has constituted a six-member study group to review and develop comprehensive development control regulations regarding hilltop-hill slope zone and biodiversity park reservation in the approved development plan of PMC and PMRDA.The committee will re-examine the essential criteria considered while delineating the boundaries of hilltop-hill slope zone and biodiversity park reservation in Pune. It will review proposals related to these, draft comprehensive rules and guidelines for development, and submit clear recommendations and a report to the govt within a month.The move comes after numerous requests and proposals from landowners from these areas to the govt to include their plots in the residential zone.This development follows an earlier govt decision on Feb 21, 2024 to consolidate scattered environmental regulations across Maharashtra into a single, cohesive regulatory framework."Lands included in these zones and reserves are environmentally sensitive and are an important part of the development plan. The committee should also recommend if land use must be permitted in these areas, or should they be declared as reserve. The committee must also recommend an action plan that should be taken up for environmental conservation," the GR issued last year said.Hilltop-hill slope zone and biodiversity park reservation have been marked in the development plan of PMC. Similarly, hilltop-hill slope zones have been proposed in PMRDA plan.In 2011, former Rajya Sabha member Vandana Chavan, Urban Planner Anita Benninger, and many others started a movement called "Save Hills, Save Pune" rallying against the govt's decision then to allow 4 percent construction on hills of Pune mentioned in the urban development plan of the city. They sought protection for hilltop-hill slope zone and biodiversity park reservation, with thousands of citizens, including eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil, supporting the cause."PMC has failed to implement six-monthly satellite monitoring of illegal structures and hold negligent officials accountable. The state govt too has failed to act on the Jain Committee Report — leaving landowners uncompensated and the city's green lungs vulnerable. Worse still, the study group lacks even a single expert in biodiversity, ecology, geology, hydrogeology or urban planning — and has been given just a month for inputs, with no platform for public hearings or meaningful engagement," Chavan said.The committee, formed on Tuesday, comprises PMC commissioner, metropolitan commissioner of PMRDA, joint director of city planning in Pune, PMC city engineer, deputy director of urban design at the city's urban research unit, with retired IAS officer Ramanath Jha as the chairman.It will review the current status of privately-owned lands in hilltop-hill slope zone and biodiversity park reservation and recommend measures to implement the designated land use reservations effectively. It will make concrete recommendations to the govt regarding actions to be taken for both official and unauthorized constructions in these sensitive zones. The city engineer, PMC, and metropolitan commissioner, PMRDA, have been told to provide all necessary documents and information to the committee without any delay.As part of the process, the committee will also invite subject experts, environmental organisations, and stakeholders to offer their insights. The group will incorporate their views into a final report, including detailed recommendations and draft development control regulations."biodiversity park reservation is an integral part of Maharashtra's regional town planning. No committee can remove it without proper process. It protects biodiversity around rivers and hills. While zones can be changed, reservations require compensation. Without density control, we risk compromising essential infrastructure and environmental balance," said professor Anita Benninger."We demand that the study be based on comprehensive scientific surveys incorporating spatial geomapping, ecological assessments, biodiversity, and hydrological surveys. The study also needs to assess the damage caused by existing illegal mining, constructions and encroachments on hills to determine baseline data and for pursuing legal action and calculating environmental compensation from violators," said Ravindra Sinha of Save Hills group.Pune: The state govt has constituted a six-member study group to review and develop comprehensive development control regulations regarding hilltop-hill slope zone and biodiversity park reservation in the approved development plan of PMC and PMRDA.The committee will re-examine the essential criteria considered while delineating the boundaries of hilltop-hill slope zone and biodiversity park reservation in Pune. It will review proposals related to these, draft comprehensive rules and guidelines for development, and submit clear recommendations and a report to the govt within a month.The move comes after numerous requests and proposals from landowners from these areas to the govt to include their plots in the residential zone.This development follows an earlier govt decision on Feb 21, 2024 to consolidate scattered environmental regulations across Maharashtra into a single, cohesive regulatory framework."Lands included in these zones and reserves are environmentally sensitive and are an important part of the development plan. The committee should also recommend if land use must be permitted in these areas, or should they be declared as reserve. The committee must also recommend an action plan that should be taken up for environmental conservation," the GR issued last year said.Hilltop-hill slope zone and biodiversity park reservation have been marked in the development plan of PMC. Similarly, hilltop-hill slope zones have been proposed in PMRDA plan.In 2011, former Rajya Sabha member Vandana Chavan, Urban Planner Anita Benninger, and many others started a movement called "Save Hills, Save Pune" rallying against the govt's decision then to allow 4 percent construction on hills of Pune mentioned in the urban development plan of the city. They sought protection for hilltop-hill slope zone and biodiversity park reservation, with thousands of citizens, including eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil, supporting the cause."PMC has failed to implement six-monthly satellite monitoring of illegal structures and hold negligent officials accountable. The state govt too has failed to act on the Jain Committee Report — leaving landowners uncompensated and the city's green lungs vulnerable. Worse still, the study group lacks even a single expert in biodiversity, ecology, geology, hydrogeology or urban planning — and has been given just a month for inputs, with no platform for public hearings or meaningful engagement," Chavan said.The committee, formed on Tuesday, comprises PMC commissioner, metropolitan commissioner of PMRDA, joint director of city planning in Pune, PMC city engineer, deputy director of urban design at the city's urban research unit, with retired IAS officer Ramanath Jha as the chairman.It will review the current status of privately-owned lands in hilltop-hill slope zone and biodiversity park reservation and recommend measures to implement the designated land use reservations effectively. It will make concrete recommendations to the govt regarding actions to be taken for both official and unauthorized constructions in these sensitive zones. The city engineer, PMC, and metropolitan commissioner, PMRDA, have been told to provide all necessary documents and information to the committee without any delay.As part of the process, the committee will also invite subject experts, environmental organisations, and stakeholders to offer their insights. The group will incorporate their views into a final report, including detailed recommendations and draft development control regulations."biodiversity park reservation is an integral part of Maharashtra's regional town planning. No committee can remove it without proper process. It protects biodiversity around rivers and hills. While zones can be changed, reservations require compensation. Without density control, we risk compromising essential infrastructure and environmental balance," said professor Anita Benninger."We demand that the study be based on comprehensive scientific surveys incorporating spatial geomapping, ecological assessments, biodiversity, and hydrological surveys. The study also needs to assess the damage caused by existing illegal mining, constructions and encroachments on hills to determine baseline data and for pursuing legal action and calculating environmental compensation from violators," said Ravindra Sinha of Save Hills group.

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